Loss and Gain
by MirrorMarch
Summary: After the volcanic eruption in Eldin, Link loses the Goddess Sword and with it, his companion, Fi. Along the path to retrieving it, he runs into a certain overbearing Demon Lord who offers to help him find it, but for what reason? And can the hero convert his new traveling companion before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, a few notes on this one before you begin. First, this is an old-ish story, so apologies if there are any spelling/grammar/general writing mistakes along the way. Second, I realize that there is an "error" concerning the plot. I know that the volcano eruption thing did not happen at the same time that you go through the Fire Sanctuary, but I had to switch stuff around to make this work. Lastly, I am currently working on another story for FFXV, so this might not get updated for a while after I post chapter four, which is the last one I have already written. Apologies for that as well. With that said, enjoy the story!**

 **Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo, not me. Probably a good thing. Feel blessed, everyone.**

One

Link slowly turned the convoluted, golden key around in his gloved hands, looking at his honey-hued reflection in its surface. Even with his image slightly blurred by the dark amber color, he could still see the lines of tension in his face. He was nervous—he always was, standing before the great doors that marked the end of another ancient temple; marked the prelude to a long, nerve-wracking, oftentimes painful fight. He was more nervous now than ever, though, and for good reason.

He had lost the Goddess Sword, and with it, the company and guidance of Fi, the spirit that dwelt within the blade.

Naturally, he hadn't meant to, but when he had descended into Eldin Province to find the third and final Sacred Flame, the Flame of Power, a terrible eruption had burst forth from the volcano, sending him flying. He had landed hard, knocking his head painfully against a stone, and had blacked out. He had awoken to find himself a prisoner of the red-skinned Bokoblins, stripped of his all his weapons and equipment. After a long search made successful by covert movements and aid from the peaceful, treasure-hunting Mogmas, Link had managed to retrieve all of his gear.

All, that is, except for his sword.

He had looked everywhere, searched every Bokoblin camp, every cave and rock, had even asked the Mogmas if they had found it, but to no avail.

The Goddess Sword was gone, and so was Fi.

Sure, she had annoyed him at first, with her long explanations and strange, robotic way of speaking, but over time, Link had found his companion to be an immense source of calm on his journey. Now, he found her otherworldly, monotone voice to be very soothing in intense situations, especially when he was injured or facing down a new enemy.

Like he would have to do once he opened the door in front of him.

That was why he was nervous—no, more than just nervous, he was scared; terrified, even. His hands shook as he slowly inserted the golden key into the correct position in its lock. The door creaked ominously as it swung inward, and Link took a tremulous step forward, drawing the crude Bokoblin machete that he had taken from one of the red-skinned monsters from its resting place across his back. The door came to a stop on its great hinges, and Link knew he had to go forward. Perhaps the enemy beyond this door had somehow gotten a hold of the sword. Perhaps the Bokoblins had brought it to the creature lurking at the end of the ancient Fire Sanctuary as a gift. Or maybe he would be given help by an agent of the Goddess in the chamber that housed the Sacred Flame. Either way, he had to go forward and emerge victorious from the battle that awaited him.

He thought of Fi, another friend taken by the dark forces, and charged courageously forward.

•

The door, predictably, boomed shut behind Link when he entered, trapping him in the circular chamber with his enemy. His enemy... who stood with his back to Link, his long, crimson cloak draped over his deceptively wiry frame.

Link's mouth went dry.

No, no, no! This wasn't happening! He couldn't face _him_ without the blade that vanquished evil, without Fi, his ever-present adviser. Of all the things that could have been awaiting him in this _particular temple,_ why did it have to be _him?_

The cloaked figure turned slowly and deliberately to face Link, a little, disdainful smile on his lips.

"...Oh, hello there, Link," Ghirahim said, the young Hylian's name sliding off his long tongue like poisonous molasses, "I see you're still among the living." Another smile quirked at his pale lips, an expression that clearly said that, although he was among the living now, he soon wouldn't be.

"Fancy meeting you here." the Demon Lord finished with an unconcerned air.

Link didn't reply, but his grip tightened on the Bokoblin-made sword.

"We seem to bump into each other time and time again!" Ghirahim said smoothly, turning dramatically on one heel to face the rich paintings on the circular wall.

"Oh, it's no coincidence, though, is it?" he asked, though the question was clearly rhetorical.

"You and I, we're bound by a thread of fate!"

He spun back suddenly to face Link, tossing his sheet of white hair to the side with a gloved hand before spreading his arms wide and exclaiming with an abrupt change of topic "look at these old drawings! Until I found these, I was... upset about that little stunt the goddess's guard dog pulled at the Gate of Time. What was that twig's name again? Impa?" He paused for a moment, a disagreeable expression twitching at the corners of his mouth before he waved his hand absently and chuckled darkly.

"Well, never mind that, because these drawings suggest the existence of a second Gate of Time. This news has just filled my heart with rainbows!"

Despite this strange exclamation, Link felt a bubble of ire building in his chest. He knew now where the discussion was leading, and it brought with it a fast-growing rage. The self-proclaimed Demon Lord was still speaking as he turned a full circle and waved a hand about to draw attention to the various pictures displayed about the room.

"I've been a busy boy, searching here and there and everywhere for a second Gate of Time." he stated, then snapped his fingers and disappeared in a flurry of white, gold and black diamonds. Knowing that Ghirahim had yet to finish his speech, Link sensed he would reappear somewhere in the room to complete his soliloquy. He cast his gaze about, and was rewarded when his enemy revealed himself again, about a meter to his left.

"And yet," the Demon Lord continued, a pout creeping into his tone, "I couldn't even find a single clue. Since I know I can be honest with you, I'll admit I got a little sulky. It was frowns all around."

He vanished a second time, this time reappearing on a ledge above the far door.

"The thought of never getting my hands on that darling young girl again was... well, more than I could bear."

The anger in Link's chest felt as if it was about to burst out of him. This overly-dramatic, demon lord _dog_ was back on Zelda's— _his_ Zelda's!—trail now, he was sure of it. The Hyilan's face contorted into a snarl, and his hand was gripping the crude sword so hard now that, had he not been wearing gloves, his knuckles would have showed white.

"But then!" Ghirahim shouted suddenly, vaulting off the ledge and diving to the ground, only to disappear a third time before he hit the ground. Link whipped his head left, then right, trying to predict where he would show himself next. He was hardly surprised, though no less repulsed, when he felt two slender hands on his shoulders and the warm breath of his enemy on his pointed ear.

Ghirahim had appeared behind him.

"Then I found this place!" the Demon Lord whispered darkly. "And the prospect of a second Gate of Time has made me positively giggly!"

Revolted and outraged, Link spun around, swinging the machete at Ghirahim, intending to cleave the vile man in half. The Demon Lord jumped back, nimbly avoiding the strike, and frowned. His no-doubt pre-prepared speech going unfinished as he straightened up, pointed disgustedly at the sword in the young hero's right hand, and asked, repelled, "what in all of vile Hylia's land is that thing!?"

Link, his face a mask of anger and his hands nearly trembling with rage, didn't even try to conceal the acid in his voice.

"It's called a sword, _noroma!_ "

"It's not your usual weapon." Ghirahim stated. "What happened to that cursed goddess sword?"

"I don't see why it's any of your business!" Link shot back with a growl.

Ghirahim's pale face suddenly went a shade lighter and he murmured softly "by the name of the Dark Lord, you lost it didn't you?"

Link clenched his teeth, wondering how the crimson cloaked figure in front of him had guessed the truth so quickly.

"I didn't lose it." he lied.

Ghirahim raised what would have been eyebrow, had the Demon Lord possessed any.

"Oh, you didn't did you? Well, if you didn't lose it, where is it now?"

"It's... safe." Link floundered. He was a terrible liar.

"'Safe?'" Ghirahim echoed skeptically. Link nodded stiffly. Ghirahim dropped his face into his palm and moaned disbelievingly.

"You have absolutely no idea where it is, do you?"

Link opened his mouth to respond, but Ghirahim answered for him.

"No, you don't. So don't try to lie again. You really are perfectly dreadful at it, aren't you? Urgh! I can't believe you lost it, foolish boy!"

"I didn't _lose_ it!" Link retorted, a bit confused by the whole conversation, "it was stolen from me!"

"Stolen!? You let it get stolen!?" Ghirahim burst out.

"I was unconscious!" Link shouted back, though now he wasn't as angry at Ghirahim as he was at himself. He felt the loss of the sword and of his companion keenly, and, worst of all, he knew it was his fault.

Ghirahim growled in frustration—though exactly why he was frustrated was beyond Link—and spun away from the Hylian, both hands covering his face, his head thrown back. He stood like that for a few silent moments, before he seemed to take a steadying breath and said, quite calmly and seriously "alright then. I suppose we'll just have to go steal it back."


	2. Chapter 2

Two

Link's mouth dropped open, and he almost dropped the Bokoblin sword in his hand. He stuttered unintelligibly for a few moments before he finally managed to spit out "'we!?' What do you mean 'we!?'"

Ghirahim turned to face the hero with a humoring expression on his pointed face.

"Well, by 'we'," the Demon Lord explained as if he were talking to a very small child, "I naturally meant you and I, boy. My apologies for not clarifying before, seeing as there are simply _a dozen_ other people in this room to choose from!"

Link glared at his rival and crossed his arms over his chest. "You aren't coming with me," he said ferociously.

Ghirahim stuck his bottom lip out in a pout.

"Oh? And here I had thought you'd want my help. We've become such good friends over these past weeks!"

Now Link's face turned deadly serious, and when he spoke his voice was as cold as ice.

"Even if no one else in the world would help me, _Lord_ Ghirahim," he said in a mocking, low tone, "I would _never_ stoop so low as to even desire your assistance. You. Aren't. Coming."

For a second, Ghirahim looked truly hurt by the words, and Link almost— _almost_ —felt bad about what he had said, but the feeling was quickly dismissed as that infernal smile found its way back onto the Demon Lord's face.

"A pity. Well, I suppose I'll just have to go look for it myself! And here I had hoped for some company... Oh, well! It's probably best for the both of us if you didn't have to travel with someone you don't even _desire_ the assistance of. Although," Ghirahim frowned in mock confusion, "I do wonder how you'll manage to get out of here all by yourself. In case you hadn't noticed, the doors are locked. Hmm... Well, this _is_ a problem. You see, if you'd accepted my offer of help, I would have just... whisked us both out of here! But, if you _really_ don't want my help..." He placed his middle finger on his thumb, preparing to teleport out of the circular room. He saw that the young hero's resolve was unwavering, however, so he added a final bard to sway the Hylian's conviction.

"It really is too bad that your darling Zelda will never get to see you again. Such a tragedy! Oh, well, I suppose she'll just have to spend time with me to make up for the loss. I'm sure she'll get over it soon enough, though. Don't worry."

"You swine!" Link shouted, and he started forward, sword raised.

Ghirahim held up his right hand, still ready in its teleporting position, into plain view with a cocky smile.

"Ah, ah, ah, Skychild! Don't want to ruin our chances of reuniting with that dear girl now, do we?"

Link lowered the sword and stopped moving, though Ghirahim could clearly read the anger in his face and see his body trembling with rage.

"That's better." the Demon Lord chirped. "Now, let's discuss this like civilized gentlemen, shall we?"

"Why would you even _want_ to help me?" Link spat through clenched teeth.

"Cutting right to the chase, I see!" Ghirahim replied. "Well, I suppose I'll tell you. You see, I had planned on taking that magnificent sword of yours from your dead fingers, but considering you don't have it with you, I'll just have to help you look!"

"But why do you want it!? You haven't answered my question!" Link snapped. Ghirahim held up his hands in front of him in a placating gesture.

"Take it easy, Skychild, I'm getting to that. My, my, how will you ever make a suitable hero without a little patience? It does go a long way, or so I'm told."

"Get to the point already!" Link interrupted harshly. He didn't usually get this angry, and when he did, he didn't stay this way for long, but this pompous drama-queen of a Demon Lord pushed his buttons like no one else he had ever met.

"Tsk, tsk," Ghirahim replied, shaking his head, "you're doing it again. But, very well, if you're going to be so insistent about this. I want that sword because it possesses great power, especially after it has been purified in those flames you've been so intent on finding. Oh, yes, I know about them, so don't bother trying to lie again. It won't work. Anyway, I do believe my master will be very pleased with it when— _when,_ Skychild! That part is important!—I give it to him. That power shall be added to his own blade, and with it, he shall conquer this surface world and the land above it! Very beneficial to me, naturally, I being his right hand man and all that! But not to worry, I'm sure he'll let you keep the useless shell of the sword when he's done with it... well, that is, if you manage to survive, which I very much doubt."

He concluded with a bright, winning smile. Link, tired of this one's antics, crossed his arms again and raised one eyebrow.

"And why on Hylia's good earth would I let you come with me if _that's_ what you plan to do in the end?" the young hero asked with a hint of acid in his voice.

"Because, if you do, I promise that no further harm shall come to you... or your darling little friend Zelda." Ghirahim replied, still smiling.

That gave Link pause, but didn't deter him from his set course. He and Zelda had both managed to slip out of Ghirahim's clutches multiple times, and he was confident in both their abilities to continue to do so. Then there was the matter of Fi. If he let the Demon Lord come along, there was a chance that he would take the sword once they found it. He knew the man's strength, and Link knew he would be hard put to get the blade back if Ghirahim did manage to obtain it before the hero did. He couldn't let him have Fi. He couldn't let him take the sword to his dark master, or the sword spirit might be lost to him forever. There was no way he could risk that.

"Zelda and I have evaded your capture at least a half dozen times now," Link said, chin raised and face set with a look of determination. "And we will continue to do so with the aid of the goddess. You'll need a better bargaining chip than that to convince me." He didn't say "and what about Fi," because he wasn't sure if Ghirahim knew the truth about his lost sword or not, about the spirit that dwelt within it, and if the Demon Lord was ignorant of the fact, Link intended him to stay that way. He honestly wasn't sure how that information might be dangerous in the hands of his enemy, but Ghirahim was an intelligent one who might find a way to use Fi to his own devices, and Link didn't want to take that chance.

"'Better bargaining chip?'" Ghirahim repeated with a laugh, "my dear, naive little hero, if I had had the opportunity to finish my speech earlier, you would know that I have the perfect bargaining chip already in the palm of my hand! You claim that you and your Zelda are perfectly capable of evading me? Foolish boy! Even now, your friend is being locked away in a... ah, how do I put this?... a _highly_ secure location. She is already in my possession, and unless you allow me to come with you to find the sword, she will be... eliminated."

Link's face switched from determination to horror in the space of a few heartbeats. He was lying! He had to be! Zelda was safely through the Gate of Time with Impa! There was no way Ghirahim could have gotten to her so quickly! It had to be a trick, designed to make him accept the Demon Lord's help. But... on the other hand, Ghirahim could be telling the truth. Perhaps Zelda really _was_ at the mercy of their enemy, maybe some underlings of the Dark Lord from long ago, or perhaps Ghirahim himself had captured her. After all, he wasn't Hylian, and Link had no idea how long he had been alive. Heck, the guy could be immortal for all the hero knew! No, the chances of him telling the truth were slim, but Link couldn't afford, wouldn't even dare, to take that risk. Zelda's life was at stake, and that was something the young Hylian wouldn't chance betting on. He would have to let the Demon Lord come along. He simply couldn't let him get to the Goddess Sword first, that was all. He could manage that. He would have to, for the sake of _both_ his friends.

Ghirahim was waiting with a patient smile while these thoughts rolled around in Link's head. The look told the young hero that Ghirahim knew what his answer would be even before he said it. Nonetheless, Link spat out "fine. You're in. Now, get us out of here. The sooner we find the sword, the sooner I can be rid of you."

Ghirahim clapped his hands together with a sense of finality.

"Excellent!" he exclaimed. "Alright then, I'll just warp us to the other side of this stubborn door!"

"Why don't you just take us all the way out?" Link interjected, "I don't want to walk the whole way back!"

Ghirahim looked down at him as if he was out of his mind.

"My dear Link," he stated calmly, "do you have any idea how difficult it is to warp two people at a time? I'd likely kill myself if I tried to take us both that far! And we wouldn't want that now, would we?"

"I wouldn't bet on that." Link grumbled, but he grudgingly agreed that they should only go as far as the other side of the door.

"Good!" Ghirahim replied. "Hold on to me, then!"

Link placed one finger on the Demon Lord's upper arm. Ghirahim blinked slowly at him and said patiently "not like that. You'll get ripped away from me into a dark abyss of nothingness if you do that! You'll have to hold on to me a _lot_ harder than that."

Link sighed, rolled his cobalt eyes to heaven, and reluctantly wrapped his whole hand around the Demon Lord's arm.

Ghirahim chuckled.

"I suppose that's the best I'll get. Very well then, off we go! Oh, and _do_ try not to get lost halfway through the door. That would be most inconvenient for the both of us!"

With that, the Demon Lord and the hero disappeared, leaving nothing but a few stray diamonds in their wake.


	3. Chapter 3

Three

Warping was perhaps the most uncomfortable and nauseating thing Link had ever experienced. It felt as if he was being stretched far beyond his natural limits, like his top half had already made it through the door, but his bottom half remained inside the circular room. He could feel the coolness of the room he had been in not a moment before, yet, at the same time, he could feel the hot blast of air on the other side of the door. And that was only the sensation. When he had tried to imagine what it must be like to warp, he had pictured a brief moment of darkness as they transitioned between the two points. In reality, however, it was a dizzying swirl of reds, browns, yellows and every other color in the Fire Sanctuary all twisting together in an epileptic tube. Link had to close his eyes against the sight and he unconsciously wrapped his arms around the Demon Lord, for there was a pulling sensation as well. It was as if, if he didn't hold on to something tangible, he would be lost forever in this horrible, confusing space between the circular chamber and the room outside.

Finally, after what felt an eternity to Link, though in truth it was only half a second, the world righted itself, and he felt it was safe to open his eyes again.

They were on the other side of the door. A set of stairs ran down before them, with two more sets on their left and right that lead even farther down. Hot, bubbling pools of slowly-flowing lava ran underneath nearly all the pathways, sending a scorching spray up into the air with each pocket of the orange-brown liquid that unexpectedly popped.

They took all this in, and it was only after their study of the place that Link realized he was still hugging the Demon Lord tightly.

"Yes, yes," Ghirahim said, patting Link on the top of his head, "I love you too, Skychild."

Link quickly let go and took a large step away from the pale figure, pointedly brushing his hair back down from where Ghirahim's hand had mussed it.

Ghirahim chuckled and remarked "you handled that rather well! You didn't get stuck halfway there and managed not to hurl. Yes, you handled that magnificently!"

Link clenched his teeth together, though this time it wasn't out of anger.

"Wouldn't bet on that not hurling thing just yet." he said, and Ghirahim nodded.

"That's to be expected," he said. "The warping process can be a bit unpleasant for first-timers! To me, though, it brings with it a strong desire for roast cuccoo! Slow-roasted, so it gets to that point where the meat just falls off the bone when you pick it up and it seems to melt in your mouth! It makes me hungry just to think of it, and... oh, I say, Skychild, you're looking rather green, and I don't mean you're clothes! Are you feeling alright?"

Link was currently engaged in fighting off the urge to vomit, but he managed to spit out the words "I hate you" before he had to shut his mouth again.

Ghirahim laughed again, though this time it was a mocking sound.

"Well, I'm going to move on!" he told the Hylian. "You can catch up once you and your stomach are back on even terms!"

He started forward, but staggered, and had to hold on to the railing beside the stairs to steady himself. Apparently, Link thought with grim amusement, he wasn't the only one who had been affected by the warping process. Ghirahim cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Well, on second thought, I might wait for you. After all, I have no idea where to begin looking! You had the sword last, not I."

He sat down with his back against the railing, pretending to look impatient about the whole affair.

Link had to hold back a triumphant laugh.

•

Rested and recovered, Link and Ghirahim made their way back through the Fire Sanctuary. For a while, the Demon Lord complained about the heat and what it would undoubtedly do to his hair, but he soon grew tired of that when Link didn't respond. They walked in silence for a while after that. Ghirahim magically conjured a black knife to his hand, causing Link to reflexively draw his sword.

"Relax!" the Demon Lord laughed as he stuck his finger through the hole in the knife's hilt, "I'm not going to murder you!"

He began to spin the knife around on his finger, amusing himself by watching its dark edge flicker in the eerie light of the lava pools.

They passed many dead bodies of monsters on their way, some lying in sprawled positions on the ground, some hanging awkwardly over ledges, and some only half visible floating in the lava. The causes of their deaths were numerous; some stabbed, some slashed, some impaled with arrows, others burned and still others blown to tiny pieces.

Ghirahim whistled softly.

"Was this all you?" he asked, sounding mildly impressed. Link kept his gaze forward, his face set in grim lines.

"Yes." he answered shortly.

"You really pack a punch, don't you, Skychild?" Ghirahim said, then he uttered a short bark of laughter. "This sort of carnage is impressive, even by my standards! You showed them! I'll have to find myself some stronger soldiers next time!"

Link stopped walking abruptly, his rigid back to the Demon Lord.

"Shut up," he demanded, his voice a mixture of anger and exhaustion, "just… shut up for once, would you? Don't try to pretend this is victory. I'm not like you. I don't take pleasure in this."

The words were few, but Ghirahim somehow found himself unable to reply. He told himself that it was because the hero didn't make for entertaining conversation, but somewhere deep within, he knew the truth: a cord had been struck, and for once, the demon didn't feel like pressing the issue.

The rest of the journey was silent.

•

They made their way out of the Fire Sanctuary and the cave outside of it without incident or conversation. But when they reached the clear space outside the cave and came within sight of the bird statue, Link took a breath then said "well, the sky's cleared."

Ghirahim looked up at the blue expanse above them with confusion.

"I wasn't aware that it was overcast in the first place," he remarked.

"No, that's not what I meant," Link replied as he too gazed up at the sky and the soft clouds floating gently in it. "There was an eruption earlier. It covered the whole place with smoke and ash. I'm surprised it cleared up as fast as it did. It seemed pretty serious to me before."

"Oh," the Demon Lord said. "I see. Well, there's no trace of an eruption now. It's almost pleasant at the moment and..." he trailed off and pursed his lips.

Link looked at him curiously.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We were actually having a conversation about the weather." Ghirahim explained, chuckling briefly. "Now that's something I can honestly say I have never done before! You must try to introduce a more interesting topic next time, Skychild! I can't believe I just stooped down to the level of the—ooh!" here, he shuddered, "the mundane!"

Link rolled his eyes.

"That's not where I was trying to go with that discussion," he said, "I was going to say that since the weather has cleared I could..." he stopped suddenly, covering his near-slip with a cough.

Ghirahim waited patiently as he feigned the coughing fit.

"Nasty stuff, smoke." the Demon Lord stated off-handedly when the Hylian finished, "sticks in the lungs for quite a while. But not to worry! I'm sure you'll get over it soon. Now, I believe you were interrupted just then. What was it you were going to say? Something about how you could do... something now that the sky is clear?"

Link bit the inside of his cheek and berated himself for his own carelessness. He had been about to say that, since the weather was again favorable, he could travel to Skyloft and borrow a more suitable sword from Knight Commander Eagus. Then, of course, he had realized that Ghirahim hadn't been to his hometown before and probably had no idea that Link could use the bird statues to travel back and forth between the sky and the surface. He didn't want to give the demon that information. He couldn't risk Ghirahim slipping away from him at some point and traveling to Skyloft himself. Link didn't want to imagine what would happen to the island and its inhabitants if that happened.

"Never mind." he answered the Demon Lord brusquely. "I was just... thinking out loud."

Ghirahim made a faint, admonishing, clucking noise with his tongue and shook his head, and Link had that urge to draw his sword again.

"Skychild, what did I say about lying? Honestly, I have no idea why you would think that it would work on anybody! It's so obvious that you're hiding the truth. And I have heard that the truth will set you free, so come on now! Let's hear it!"

Link resolutely kept his mouth shut.

"I see you don't trust me yet." Ghirahim said in reply to his silence, "That's alright, because I'm not sure I trust you either. Well, I suppose if you won't tell me, I'll just have to guess." He paused and assumed an expression of deep concentration. He stayed this way for at least a minute before he snapped his fingers and exclaimed "I've got it! You want to go back to the sky for something, but you realize that you can't because I'm with you and you're afraid that, if I learn how you travel back and forth and to and fro, I'll be able to do it myself, is that it?"

"No!" Link burst out, too quickly, again marveling at how fast the Demon Lord had guessed the truth. "I... it's just..." he trailed as Ghirahim blinked slowly and deliberately at him.

"Yes." The Hylian admitted then, "that's it."

"There now!" Ghirahim replied with a bright smile, "that wasn't too hard, was it? But you needn't be afraid of _that_ , boy, because I already know how you get back to the sky. Oh, don't look so shocked! I have many... _friends_ here on this surface world and they informed me of your movements for these past few weeks. And even without their help I couldn't _not_ notice the strong emanations of the goddess's magic coming from statues like _those,_ " he pointed to the bird statue beside them. "So never fear, Skychild, _I_ can't use those, nor would I want to. The sun's much too bright up there. I can't see how you people can stand it!"

Link's tense body relaxed at Ghirahim's words—certainly a first—and he replied "well then, I'll just go up there, get what I need and come back down." He started toward the statue.

"Now wait just a second!" Ghirahim's frantic voice stopped him and he turned back around.

"You're not leaving without _me!_ As I said before, I don't trust you yet. How do I know you'll honor our deal? You could just leave this volcanic realm altogether and not come back! I will not let you get that sword without me. No, Skychild, if you go up there, I go too. I'm not letting you out of my sight!"

Link took a deep breath and faced the Demon Lord directly.

"You said I'm a terrible liar, and I can't deny that." he said, locking stares with his companion's pitch black eyes. "So you'll be able to tell whether or not I'm telling you the truth now." Here his voice became softer and more serious at once, "I made a promise to you, Ghirahim. I told you that you could travel with me, and though I can honestly admit that I'd rather travel with anyone else in the world right now, I will not break that promise. When I give my word, I keep it, no matter the consequences. So you can fully believe me when I say that I will come back as soon as I get what I need. Okay?"

Ghirahim was silent for a moment. Then, a small smile curled his lip, a smile that didn't seem all that sinister, and he replied, "well, you'd best hurry up then. Because if you're not back within the hour, I'm leaving without you!"

Link nodded, then turned once again toward the bird statue. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, he placed his gloved right hand on the polished surface of the bird and felt the magical pulse spread out from his hand in a warm ripple. Then there was a tug in his chest as a beam of light shot out of the statue and into the sky, and Link was pulled upward into the heavens on the soft, gentle hand of Hylia.

The last thing he saw of the surface before the clouds obscured his vision was Ghirahim, watching him leave with a strange expression on his pale face. A mixture of two emotions that stood out clearly on his features: Fear and sadness.

 **So sorry for the wait, guys. There was a section in here that I really didn't like, so I had to go back and rewrite it. Bleh.**


End file.
